The Price of Freedom
by The Narnian Phantom Stallion
Summary: Charlotte Middleton never realized her life could change just by falling in water until one night she finds herself growing a mermaid's tail. Now she's trying to hide her hidden identity from even her family. If anyone knew she could be taken away or worse-be burned at the stake. One day she is kidnapped by pirates and at the mercy of a Captain who is intent on selling her.
1. Chapter 1

**So this was going to be about a girl fighting in the war impersonating a man but I decided i'd change the plot before it got too far along. I've been recently into mermaids and pirates and i thought about having a story with both. This just clicked. So instead of the setting in New Bern, NC i'm changing it to Oriental, NC. It's a waterfront town close to where I live. Lots of ports and perfect for Pirates in the 1700's. I hope you like my changes.**

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Chapter 1:

Charlotte Middleton dangled her bare feet off the roof of her family's town house.

It was a very hot summer day. Thankfully there was small breeze to be felt. It ruffled her inky black hair that had fallen out of her mob cap.

Her mother always tried to keep her hair from being too noticed. It was 'too black and straight' she said. Charlotte didn't know what the fuss was about it. It was just hair.

"Miz Charlotte, your mama requests your presence in the parlor." One of the servants, Nancy called from the gardens.

Charlotte scrambled down from the roof and used the lattice on the side of the house as a ladder.

Nancy didn't reprimand her like most of the servants did. At that Charlotte was glad.

Charlotte dropped down on the grass and hitched up her skirts so she could get inside faster.

The servants stared at her in horror but didn't speak a word about her very unlady-like behavior. It never did any good. It only sent Mrs. Amelia Middleton into a mood. Nothing seemed able to be done about her daughter's ways. It seemed Mr. Charles Middleton got the son he never had in his oldest daughter. The younger daughter Emily by two years was always the prim and proper gentlewoman. Something Charlotte would never be. It grieved Mrs. Middleton so much sometimes she took to her bed.

Charlotte skidded to a stop at the parlor doorway. Her mother stopped in mid needlepoint as she looked up to behold her daughter's appearance.

Amelia placed a hand to her chest to calm herself and took in a breath. "Dear child, please sit down."

Charlotte sat down on the settee and waited for her to speak. All the while fidgeting. She had a feeling this was going to be something she didn't want to hear. She had that feeling.

"As you know last week you turned 20. Past the courting age really." Amelia went back to doing her needlepoint and glanced up.

Charlotte bit her tongue. She knew exactly where this was going and she didn't like it. No one was going to confine her and make her a housewife or make her have baby after baby. She wanted freedom as much as all the colonies wanted a free country. Only she wanted freedom of herself.

"Eligible men are going to come courting you from now on. Tis time you settled down and stop acting like a child." Amelia announced. "I expect you to be married by the next month."

Charlotte opened and closed her mouth trying to find words. Finding none she fled the house as fast as her legs would carry her.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Let me know what you think of this chapter. **

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Chapter 2:

Charlotte ended up into the streets. It didn't occur to her that she wasn't wearing any shoes or stockings. Not even a hat. Her mother would have a heart attack if she knew.

She wouldn't and was not getting married to some stuffy man twice her age. There was no way on God's green earth.

Charlotte stopped still in the middle of the street and inhaled the salty smell of the ocean. It was only a few blocks away to the open sea. Ships came and go. Merchants mostly but occasionally came a few pirate ships. She had only heard of pirates. She had never seen any.

"Pardon me miss. Are you alright?" asked a man behind her, his accent was thick.

Charlotte turned around sharply. "Aye, sir." She nodded politely and started walking again, not giving him a glance. People stared at her bare feet and loose hair. Ladies gasped and scowled while a lot of the men whistled. She flushed and kept walking as fast as she could.

She found herself on a beach after awhile. She hadn't ever been there before. Seagulls called overhead as she tiptoed over the giant boulders. There wasn't any sand just rocks and more rocks.

"How peculiar," Charlotte said to herself softly. It was then she tripped over something sharp and fell into a large fissure filled with ice cold water. She shrieked and came up sputtering. It was deep. She immediately began shaking from cold and scrambled up back on the rocks.

Her mother was going to kill her. She winced at the thought. She was doomed.

Charlotte all but ran home. The thing she wanted most badly was a hot bath now to stop her constant shivering.

She skidded to a stop in the garden. She looked up the sky as it rumbled with thunder in the distance.

"Miz Charlotte! I done told ya to not go without ya pins an' slippers. What have ya done to your self, child?" Nancy shrieked in horror at the girl's appearance. "Your mama will be most displeased." She clucked.

Charlotte didn't bother to explain herself and simply walked slowly into the house and tiptoed up the stairs, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Nancy was on her heels but kept quiet, guessing the young mistress didn't want her mother to find her soaked to the skin.

When they were in Charlotte's chamber Nancy finally spoke in a whisper, "I'll draw ya some bath water."

Charlotte was never so thankful in her life, "Thank you, Nancy."

The part time nurse went out of the room swiftly.

Charlotte began stripping her wet garments. They were beginning to rub the wrong way and chaff her. Fifteen minutes later Nancy and another female servant came in. Nancy carrying hot water and the other carrying the metal tub.

She nodded her thanks and poured some lavender bath salts. Sighing she sat down in the tub and splashed away the mud and salty grid.

Not two minutes later she began to feel very strange. Not a good strange either. A shooting pain shot up both her legs and a burn began to go up them slowly traveling up to her chest. It was all she could do not to cry out or scream. Charlotte gripped the sides of the tub until her knuckles went white.

What happened next was the shock of her life. An opal colored like fish tail sprouted from her waist down. It flopped over the tub being too big to fit. Her breasts were covered in fish scales. She stared with wide eyes and her jaw went slack. She clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. How did this happen? How could it even happen? How would she get rid of it?

Panic filled her and she tried to get out of the tub but failed miserably and flopped back into the tub with a splash her opal fin slapping against the floor.

"No, no, no." Charlotte heaved herself up until she fell out and tumbled onto the hard floor. She reached for a nearby towel and missed it by mere inches. She glared at the infernal tail and began scooting her useless body until she could finally reach and snatched the towel.

She furiously scrubbed herself with the towel until she was sure she was squeaky dry. She wasn't sure if it would help the tail to go away but it was worth a try.

A few seconds later a searing pain shot down her body and her tail split into legs. She stared in shock before getting up and throwing her gown on.

She flew into her bed and covered up and wished she would wake up from this nightmare.

**review if you want an update. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter. ideas are welcome. Thank you for all the reviews.**

Chapter 3:

Charlotte refused to go out into the town much to her mother's nagging and irritation. She couldn't live like this forever. She was afraid of any contact with water. She didn't even want to drink it.

She refused bath after bath. Nancy was aghast as well as Charlotte's mother until she was forced into it by Nancy.

"No! Please, I beg of you!" Charlotte cried out and thrashed.

"Now, Miz. Ya must get in here. Ya smell dirty and must get clean." Nancy all but threw her into the tub with her clothes on.

"Nancy!" Charlotte shrieked in horror, "Get out of here before it's too late. Go!"

"Pardon, Miz? What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Nancy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Charlotte sobbed, unable to control herself. If Nancy didn't keep this a secret it might be the end of her. The town would burn her at the stake. People were scared of the thought of mermaids and wouldn't think twice about killing one. Mermaids mostly just myths were known to be killers.

"Please go."

"If ya say so, Miz Charlotte," Nancy retreated back a few steps. She didn't get very far.

Charlotte felt a white hot searing pain shoot up her body and she cried out.

"Miz Charlotte!" Nancy ran back to the tub just as Charlotte's tail sprouted.

Charlotte covered her face in horror.

Nancy muffled a scream of surprise.

"Please don't tell anyone," Charlotte begged the maid again.

Nancy shook her head violently before fleeing Charlotte's chambers.

The next day Charlotte woke up to a visiting suitor. Both her mother Amelia and sister Emily sat in the parlor with him looking smug as Charlotte entered.

Her stomach churned. She couldn't do this. Now she really couldn't marry anyone due to her 'fishiness' or 'mermaidness'.

Nancy hadn't spoken a word of Charlotte's secret but she knew eventually it was bound to come out. Charlotte had to go away before someone found out. She didn't know where but she just had to.

The man rose at seeing her. He was quite tall. Charlotte had never seen him before. She couldn't deny he was handsome. He had curly hair the color of coffee and green eyes.

"Charlotte, this is Robert Lawrence, he owns the bank in town," her mother purred.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, miss." Mr. Lawrence bowed.

Charlotte curtsied stiffly.

Minutes passed and then it was like time stopped with her heart as well when her mother suggested Mr. Lawrence take Charlotte for a stroll at the beachside.

Charlotte didn't dare argue and dutifully followed her suitor to the beach. Careful to keep away from the tides. Mr. Lawrence held her arm in his elbow and attempted conversation, only she didn't hear a word he said.

"You're a very beautiful young lady, Miss Middleton. It would be an honor if you would…."

It was then Charlotte realized they were no longer by the tide but by rocks filled with water in between them. She gulped and stepped closer to Mr. Lawrence.

"….be my wife. Will you marry me?" He finished with hopeful eyes.

Alarm shot through Charlotte. "I-I—no! I don't even know you." She stepped back and slipped. Forgetting where she was. She screamed and fell into the water.

"Miss Middleton!" Mr. Lawrence scrambled down and grabbed her, pulling her out of the freezing water.

"Leave me alone!" Terror gripped her and she ran as fast she could. The pain shot through her body. "No, no, no!" It was too late. She fell to the ground with a splat. Unable to run and escape from Mr. Lawrence or anybody else for that better.

_I'm going to die. _

Tears filled her eyes as Mr. Lawrence caught up with her. His eyes widened. "Miss Mid-," then his surprise turned into a look of greed, "Well, well. What do we have here. A little mermaid?"

"No. No please. Let me go. I beg of you."

"Behold!" He yelled to the passing crowd who all stopped to stare at the girl with the fishtail. "A mermaid! What blasphemy is this?"

Gasps were heard.

"Let's burn her!" Someone shouted.

**review if you want an update.**


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